Individualized Medicine for Epilepsy -Based on Genetic Information-

Current antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy requires trial and error in determining the most effective AED and dosage for a patient, and almost one-fourth of patients are resistant to AED therapy. The introduction of individualized medicine for epilepsy based on genetic information is a new avenue to improve current AED therapy. However, several crucial issues remain to be resolved before the development of individualized medicine for epilepsy can proceed further. The epilepsy genes responsible for common phenotypes have not yet been identified, and ongoing pharmacogenetic studies continue to search for an explanation of why 25 to 30% of patients do not respond to AEDs. There is no convincing clinical evidence indicating the impact of P-glycoprotein on prediction of clinical response. This article provides a critical review of the status and perspectives for the development of individualized medicine for epilepsy based on genetic polymorphisms/mutations in relation to core elements such as pharmacodynamic pathway, pharmacokinetic pathway, prediction of idiosyncratic reaction to AED, and mechanisms of action of AEDs.